The Hindu Business Line : `I in India must stand for innovation, not imitation'

Nuggets of insight
For India, in the 21st century, the key will be Indian mind.
It is important to do small things consistently well.
Networking by using technology at every level is a solution to transform the Indian farming sector.
If companies are not agile, and unable to turn quickly to a changing situation, their existence is in danger.

CALL FOR INNOVATION: (From left) Mr C.K. Ranganathan, President, MMA; Mr Suresh Krishna, CMD, Sundram Fastners Ltd ; Mr M.V. Subbiah, Advisor, Murugappa Group; Dr R.A. Mashelkar, Director-General, CSIR and Secretary to Government of India; and Mr Sudhir Jalan (standing), President, AIMA; at an interactive session in Chennai on Saturday. (Report on Page 3) - Bijoy Ghosh

Chennai , July 22

Innovation alone will help India become a global player and face international competition, according to Dr R.A. Mashelkar, Director-General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

"I in India must stand for innovation, not imitation," he said, speaking at an interactive session on "Face to Face with Success" organised by the All India Management Association in collaboration with the Madras Management Association.

With over 200 research and development (R&D) centres, India is a major R&D hub. A lot of Intellectual Property (IP) is generated in India, but most of it is for multinational companies. Indian intelligence quotient is being used to develop IP for multinational companies. However, not many IPs are created to benefit India, he said.

Dr Mashelkar said in Japan and some of the European countries, spending on R&D and science and technology by government and industry was in the ratio of 30:70. It is the reverse in India. Government policy and support to propagate innovation is key, and this could be achieved through private-public-partnership, he said.

"For India, in the 21st century, the key will be Indian mind. Power of Indian mind is superb, and we need to use this in full to create IP, not for others, but for ourselves," he said. Mr Suresh Krishna, Chairman and Managing Director, Sundram Fasteners Ltd, said it is important for companies to deal with product, best and world — all the three independently and in combination. Excellence is not a mindset, but a mindscape. It is important to do small things consistently well, and Sundram Fasteners is making bolts and nuts consistently well, he said.

Everything can be bought, except developing a mindscape in quest for excellence. To become an excellent company, one should go after demanding and unforgiving customers who will give "hell" if not met with their standard, he said.

IT power for farmers

Mr M.V. Subbiah, Adviser, Murugappa Group, said Indian farmers are blindfolded and have no clue about the market for their produce. There is hardly any direct linkage between the farmer and end customers — there are around 20 middlemen who make money, and little is left for the farmers.

However, things are slowly changing. Pricing decisions are becoming information technology-enabled, and the number of middlemen is getting reduced. IT is enabling farmers to look at alternative crops, decide on pricing and take their produce directly to the market. Networking by using technology at every level is a solution to transform the Indian farming sector, he said.

Making it, unlike Titanic

In a video speech broadcast at the event, Mr J.J. Irani, Director, Tata Sons, said Tata Steel was once in a situation similar to the Titanic ship, and in danger. However, the company took a turn in the right direction. Else it would have hit an iceberg and gone under. Every large organisation can come across such situations in its history. If companies are not agile, and unable to turn quickly to a changing situation, their existence is in danger, he said.

In the 1980s, Tata Steel was a successful organisation, and growing every year. Early 1990s, the company had 78,000 employees. However, when the Indian economy was opened up in 1991-92, the company had to face international competition. Then, size was not helping the company to go into the future. It was decided to reduce the number of people by half in the next few years.

Today, Tata Steel has about 40,000 employees and the productivity is six times more than what it used to be a decade ago. The company is one of the cheapest steel producers in the world, he said.

Dr Mashelkar, later speaking to reporters, said CSIR was in discussion with the Government to come out with regulatory changes to allow CSIR scientists set up their own business units and work on various technologies.

The CSIR would also lend its scientists for the industry and also borrow scientists from the industry. It would also allow the industry to use its labs for research, he said.

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